


Thicker than blood

by Tashilover



Category: Pacific Rim
Genre: F/M, Girl!Newton, Pregnancy, Profanity, dub-con, genderbender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-24
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2017-12-30 09:21:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1016889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tashilover/pseuds/Tashilover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were a few things Newt regretted in her life. Getting pregnant by Hannibal Chau was one of them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Girl!Newt AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There were a few things in Newt's life she regretted doing. Losing her virginity to Danny Gonzales, for example. Fucking prick ended up telling the whole school and made fun her still-growing tits. Newt eventually got back at him when she hacked the school's grading system and failed Danny in every class.

Stealing that case of beer from the liquor store was another regret. Newt was caught immediately and she had to watch her dad look upon her with great disappointment as he bailed her out of jail. He ended up dying from a heart attack the next day and she never got a chance to apologize to him.

There were a few others, but those two were the major ones. After the first kaiju attack, Newt knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She immortalized that feeling on a tattoo, right below her left breast, and vowed to have no more regrets.

Then she slept with Hannibal Chau.

You can't exactly  _blame_  her. She just saved the world, everyone was celebrating. She was drunk. And horny. Probably the worst combinations in the world. It also didn't help that Hannibal, through his own drunken state, said things like, "You know... you're probably the smartest fucking girl I know. And I know some  _dumb_  bitches. And you actually drifted with a kaiju. That's fucking impressive. You got guts, girl."

So sue her, she swooned. It wasn't often men complimented her brain.

But it wasn't the sex she was regretting. It wouldn't be the first time she slept with an ugly-ass man twenty years her senior. (How the fuck did you think she passed english in college? What, like she actually had  _time_  for Shakespeare?) Oh no, the sex was actually pretty fucking great. Say what you want about Hannibal Chau, that man had a tongue like the devil.

It wasn't the sex she regretted... technically. It was what happened after.

Newt sat on the toilet seat, leaning on her elbows while her knee bounced uselessly. She kept staring over at her watch, scowling every time she did. Three minutes. All she had to do was wait three minutes.

She could have gone to the medical wing but she didn't want this to be advertise over the Shatterdome. She certainly didn't want Hermann noticing she going to the medical wing, knowing he'll just ask her a bunch of useless questions. No, she wanted to keep this to herself. Once it was official, then she'll tell people. Maybe.

Finally, her watch beeped. Her three minutes of waiting was up. Newt scrambled, reached out, and pulled the little plastic stick to her. She looked at it, grabbed the box to confirm what she was reading was true, and then dropped her arm. "Oh,  _fuck me_."

She was pregnant.


	2. Chapter 2

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck shit shit fuck shit fuck shitty shit shit fuck fuck shit shit fuck shit fuck shit fuck shit shit fuck shit fuckity shit shit.

Now Newt knew she has done some  _dumb_  things- some pretty fucking dumb things- but this tops the cake. Getting pregnant? Okay, sure, maybe one day in the future when she was older and married and the world was not on the edge of total annihilation she would consider motherhood. And now that the Earth was not about be to burnt to a crisp, having a baby could be nice.

Except the father of this baby was not some random bloke off the street. This was  _Hannibal's_  kid. God, Newt could see her father staring at her disapprovingly even now.

Newt groaned in her hands. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What the hell was she going to do?

She could get rid of it. A lot of women in the past few years were aborting because they didn't want their children in a world full of monsters. Maybe now the birthing rate would suddenly boom.

Newt shook her head. No, aborting was not an option. It wasn't a religious or moral decision on her part: as a biologist, pregnancy was... magical. It was an incredible process of sperm and egg coming together, forming bone and blood and flesh. To know her body was creating life as she walked and breathed was  _fascinating_.

Then her second option was... well... she didn't  _need_  to tell Hannibal she was pregnant.

It was not as if he would care. The guy probably had dozens of little bastards running around Hong Kong. However, just in case, Newt should avoid telling him. She didn't know what he'll do if he wanted to keep it.

First things first: she should get an official report from the medical wing before making decisions. If she was lucky, this stupid little piece of plastic was defective and lied to her.

 

 

 

 

"Congratulations, Miss Geiszler, you're pregnant."

The world's biggest moan came out of Newt's mouth. The doctor actually jumped at the noise. "No, please tell me you're lying. I'll give you fifty bucks right now to lie to me."

"Um... no... the tests are very accurate. You're pregnant."

Welp, so much for the hope the home pregnancy test was wrong. Truthfully, Newt didn't have much faith that it was wrong, but now it was confirmed, the regret of it all was growing by the second.

"Miss Geiszler, you do know I have to tell the Marshall of your pregnancy?"

"What?" Newt said, snapping her head up to stare at the doctor. "What? No you don't!"

"Yes, I do. It is required of all essential personnel involved with the Jaeger program-"

"I am not a Jaeger pilot!" Newt was nearly yelling now. She knew if Mako Mori suddenly found out she was with child, she would probably have to drop out of the program within a month. All that moving, jumping around, a Jaeger was the equivalent of a roller coster to a pregnant woman.

"It is not about the Jaegers," the doctor shot back, her voice getting more agressive than Newt's. "And you  _know_  that, Miss Geiszler."

Shamed, Newt bowed her head. Yeah, she knew what the doctor was getting at. In less than twenty-four hours, Newt had experienced the Drift twice, in an unauthorized, imperfect machine, with a  _kaiju_  no less. Not even Newt could guess what kind of damage that had done on her body. Now that she was pregnant, how were the after affects of the Drift going to do to her? To the baby?

"Don't be alarmed," the doctor continued in a much more soothing voice. "You're not the first woman to suddenly find themselves unexpectedly pregnant on the Shatterdome. And I only need to tell the Marshall. He does have to keep your confidentiality."

"I know," Newt said. But this wasn't going to be kept secret long. Eventually her belly was going to grow, and people were going to ask stupid questions, assume stupid things. It was best to nip things in the bud now before it got worse.

 

 

 

 

The first person Newt decided to see was Mako. She was, after all, the only other woman on the Shatterdome who has experienced the Drift. Also, Newt didn't have other female friends and she barely knew any of the other women here.

The only problem was, Mako wasn't alone.

Of course she wasn't alone. What the fuck did Newt expect? Jaeger pilots were rarely away from their partners. Newt found Mako  _slow dancing_  with Raleigh in the hallway of their rooms. Raleigh was slowly teaching her steps, leading the way, as Mako giggled helplessly each time she trotted on his toes.

Damn it, it was so cute. It was like watching puppies dance around rainbows while dewdrops fell from the sky.

Raleigh spotted Newt first and he smiled handsomely. He twirled Mako one last time, bringing their little dance to an end. "Dr. Geiszler," Raleigh greeted formally. "How can we help you?"

Newt opened her mouth to ask if she could speak to Mako alone. There would be no point though. Mako would either tell Raleigh about it later, or he'll find out through the bond. "I have news," Newt said. She wiped her sweaty hands on her trousers. Fuuuuuuck, why was she suddenly so nervous? "I'm... huh... having a baby."

Both of them simultaneously blinked in surprise. Mako was the first one to break, and she clapped her hands happily. "Congratulations!" She said.

"Yeah," Raleigh agreed a moment later, still a little bit stunned. "Congratulations to both you and Dr. Gotliebb."

Whoa, whoa, whoa,  _wait_. "What- you think me and Hermann...? No! Hermann and I... pshhh, we're not like that!"

Mako's smile dimmed. "But... I thought you two were partners."

"Yeah!  _Science partners_! We're not... lovers! No!"

"Oh." Mako's face fell completely.

Newt couldn't believe it. They actually thought she and Hermann were sex buddies? They fought every day! Harmann once called her an uncivilized neanderthal because shstored kaiju blood in their shared refrigerator. Sure, they experienced the Drift together, but they were not Jaeger pilots. The bond they shared was small. Insignificant. And now that the world was free of kaiju, she and Hermann will never go through the Drift again and that bond will eventually thin out and fade away.

"I apologize," Mako said. She bowed slightly. "I shouldn't have assumed."

Though they were in Hong Kong, Newt has never been bowed to before in her life. It stunned and humbled her and the irritation she felt drained away. "No problem," Newt said, shrugging away the apology.

 

 

 

 

Newt guessed it was now time to tell Hermann. After that weird conversation with Mako, Newt wasn't sure if she now wanted to.

She found him in their work space, erasing the the large white board of endless numbers. Newt stood by the door, watching him, expecting Hermann to start putting things away. Now that the kaiju were no more, there was no need for a mathematician or biologist on the Shatterdome.

"I know you're watching me," Hermann said without turning around. He picked up a black dry eraser marker, popped it, and started a whole new set of numbers.

Drifting with Hermann was a strange thing. Because it was a spur of the moment, and not given enough time to strengthen that bond, Newt could have easily forgotten what she shared with him. And adding the kaiju's memories to the mix, there were two personalities meshing with hers. The odd emotions Newt felt, she couldn't tell if that was Hermann, the kaiju, or if she just needed to poop.

"What are you doing?" Newt asked, stepping into the room.

"Didn't you get the memo?" Hermann looked to her. At her confusion, he sighed and said, "The Marshall wants me to overlook the numbers again, to be a hundred percent sure the rift won't open in the future."

Newt scoffed. " _Aren't_  you a hundred percent sure?"

"Of course I am! However, for the sake of a calm mind, I am double-checking my work. Even if that means starting from the beginning. Don't give me that look, Newton, it means I still have a job."

Newt laughed. It felt good to see Hermann a little flustered over his precious mathematics. The first time Newt met him, she pointed to his numbers and casually joked, "You forgot to carry the one." Hermann accidentally took that to heart and spent three hours double-checking everything. He was  _furious_  with her when he realized it was a joke.

Hermann paused in his writing. He looked to her. "Something's wrong," he said. "You're nervous. Why?"

Was that the bond speaking or did Hermann noticed something was off? Either way, it was really cool Hermann picked up on it.

Until he sighed. Loudly, tiredly, off-put. He popped the cap back on his marker, tossed it down and said, "You might as well tell me. Otherwise I'll never get any work done."

Newt gaped at him. Irritated, she spat, "Don't sound like you're doing me a favor!"

Hermann bristled. "Well, aren't I? Remember, the last time you came to me was because you saw a spider in the bathroom. For someone who loves to spend her days elbows deep in kaiju gore, I am appalled by your lack of backbone. You wouldn't even let me kill it. Pah!"

Unexpectedly, tears welled up in Newt's eyes. Was she crying? Why? This was nothing.

Newt stared at the white board, trying hard to keep the tears from falling. "You forgot to carry the  _one_ ," she snapped, then dramatically twisted on her heel and left the room. This was hormones talking, she told herself. Nothing else.

 

 

 

 

Of course it was only a matter of time before the Marshall cornered her.

"I need to know one thing," he said in a very soft tone. He didn't even bother to congratulate her. "Who's the father?"

Newt gritted her teeth to keep herself from saying something offensive. He was still her boss, after all. "Sir, I believe that's none of your business."

"And usually I agree," he said, still keeping the gentle tone. Thank goodness Newt wasn't talking to Pentecost. He probably would have just  _stared_  at her until she spilled her guts to him. "But if he is who I believe he is, then we may have some trouble. It is Dr. Gotliebb?"

"What? God, no! Why does everyone keep assuming that?"

"Because I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. Dr. Geiszler, is Hannibal Chau the father?"

That shut Newt up. There was no way he could come to that conclusion all on his own. ""How-?"

"I have my sources," Marshall Hansen said. God, he had the same disappointing look on his face. Was this look a father thing? "Do you plan to abort it?"

"Now that's definitely none of your business!"

"When your decisions affect the security and safety of the Shatterdome, I make it my business."

"The fuck-? It's a baby! It's not even a month old! It doesn't even have a  _head_!"

"Hannibal Chau has your Drift equipment."

Newt jerked as if she had just been slapped. The moment Newt and Hermann realized the plan with the bomb wasn't going to work, they rushed back to the Shatterdome post haste, leaving all the equipment behind. She completely forgotten about her experimental machine till now. "W-w-what, why would he even bother with that? It only works on kaiju."

The Marshall ran a tired hand over his face. It must've been exhausting, running the entire Shatterdome practically by himself. Newt could practically see the man aging in front of her. "Listen to me very carefully, Dr. Geiszler," he said slowly. "At end of the day, the decision is yours to make, but I need you to understand the extremity of the situation. Yes, your machine was created to Drift with kaiju, but Hannibal Chau is a smart man. He's a very resourceful man. I have no doubt he can find a way to manipulate the machine so he can use it to Drift with other people. That means he could easily pick off any politician, scientist, or soldier he wants off the street and sell their secrets to people. No more torture, no more bribes, all he has to do is strap them in and Drift. Even if he can't figure out the mechanics, he now knows  _you_  are capable of creating such a machine from every day scraps. If he finds out you are pregnant with his kid, he can easily call upon his rights as the biological father to get you into his hands again. Are you  _positive_  you want to keep the child?"

Newt took a step back. For the first time in her life, she couldn't think. "I... I..."

"I am not going to force you into anything you don't want to do," Marshall Hansen told her. "If you want to keep it, there are steps we can take to keep Hannibal off your back. Take your time, you don't need to tell me now."


	3. Chapter 3

Take your time, he said. I'm not going to force you, he said. It's your choice, he said. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

Newt fumed over the Marshal's words. Oh yeah, take your time and all that- except, here, let's add some guilt on top of that. Perhaps a dash shame. And a hint of embarrassment. Mix well, you slut.

Okay, Newt admitted that was going too far. She knew the Marshal would keep to his word. The moment she said yes or no, he would back off. Though it didn't make her any less angry.

For an hour she cried in her room. She punched her pillow, bit at her knuckles to keep the noise muffled, and at one point, got up to grab her hidden bottle of whiskey intending to drink the entire thing. She brought up the bottle to her lips and just as the cool, bitter liquid touched her lips, she remembered and immediately tossed the contents down the drain.

In a panic, she righted the bottle up, saving about a third of the whiskey. Why should she rid of perfectly good whiskey if she wasn't even having the damn kid?

That train of thought started a whole new set of tears.

Much later, when she couldn't produce any more tears, she laid in her bed, her arms around a pillow and stared angrily at the wall.

Should she abort? It's not like she won't be able to have other children in the future. She could always adopt, if worst comes to shove. She was young... sort of. She had time.

There was a knock at her door. Without prompt, she knew immediately it was Hermann. She didn't even question how she knew. Newt sat up, and took a minute to straighten her clothes and brush down her hair. She still looked like crap, but it was good enough.

As soon as she opened the door, Hermann held up a plastic bag full of takeout boxes in offering. "Chinese food?"

Newt sniffled, then grinned and stepped aside to let him in. "You know, here in China, it's just called  _food_."

"Yes, well, this is slightly different than what you expect here in Hong Kong." He limped his way to the nearest table. The surface was covered in old Chinese newspapers; it was Newt's poor attempt at trying to learn Cantonese. Hermann set the bag down and pulled out the first carton, pushing it towards Newt to inspect.

It was noodles. Nothing exciting, and Newt gave Hermann a disbelieving look as she pulled apart her chopsticks. She twirled a generous portion and shoved it into her mouth. Her eyes went wide. She groaned. "Oh my God. OH MY GOD. This reminds me of home!"

"I know," Hermann said smugly. His lips did that half-grin which only emphasized how skinny the man was. "I know a few locals who have spent a couple of years overseas. They know how to cook it that way."

This wasn't your average local cuisine. The noodles tasted like the bastardization Western version of Chinese food. It was greasy and thick and Newt thought she was having an orgasm. "Fuck! I can't believe how much I missed this."

"I also brought  _this_ ," Hermann pulled out two bottles of beer out of the bag, setting them down in front of her. "Take them as... apology for this morning. I didn't mean to make you so upset."

Beer sounded so damn good right now. Newt held the bottle up, relishing the coldness against her skin. A small drop of condensation rolled down from the neck of the bottle, over Newt's thumb, then dripped off to land on her knuckles.

And just like that, Newt came to a decision. She placed the beer down.

Hermann looked up from his own take away container, sensing the sudden change in Newt's demeanor. His brows furrow in silent question.

"Thank you, Herms," Newt said affectionally. "I feel much much better."

She got up from her seat and leaned over and pressed her lips against his cheek. When they first met and Newt used to kiss Hermann on the check, he would sputter and blush, and wiped away any offending lipstick like it was acid on his skin. Nowadays, as Newt leaned in, he merely turned his face up to give her better access. His eyebrows quirked at the moment of contact and Newt sensed the tiniest hint of pleasure. She pulled back, grinning.

"You're very welcome," Hermann said smugly. He did eye Newt's lack of enthusiasm of the beer suspiciously. Perhaps to avoid another fight, he said nothing.

Newt sat back down and happily shoved another chunk of noodles into her mouth. She was going to need her strength for what was going to happen next.

 

 

 

 

 

"I'm keeping it."

There was no greeting, no reason given, the moment Newt entered the Marshall's office, she told him her decision. It was what he was expecting anyways.

Herc sighed, slightly disappointed. He nodded, and said, "Alright. A part of me knew this was going to happen. So I already went ahead and had these drawn up." He pulled out a manilla folder from a drawer and handed it over.

It only took Newt twenty-five seconds to read a hundred and thirty lines of text presented inside the folder. Speed reading was a technique she perfected by the age of ten. Her teachers used to chastise her, thinking she was skimming through her text books. "Sydney? You're sending me to Australia?"

"It would be the best place in the world for you. Hannibal Chau does not have authority over kaiju remains in that region. You'll be able to carry on with your work, Dr. Geiszler, and you won't have to worry about black market dealers. Plus, it's my hometown, so I have eyes and ears everywhere there."

Newt bit her lip. Yeah, that sounded really great. And Newt has always wanted to go to Sydney. "But... what about Herms?"

Procedures strictly forbid the separation of Drift Partners. Long separations between partners caused numerous side affects, many of which were highly understudied because no one partner wanted to be away from the other for longer than a few days. Jaeger pilots said the separation was like experiencing a constant, itchy, phantom limb. Newt could only wonder how Raleigh and Herc could handle the death of their partners. Was it like an inch you couldn't scratch, or did it feel like a part of their soul had a gaping hole in it?

"Unfortunately, I do need Dr. Gotliebb here," Herc said warily. "I need him to study the remains of the Rift, to make sure it won't ever open again."

Newt fought against the urge to place a protective hand on her stomach. She knew this was the best option for her. And fuck, it was not like Hermann could never come and visit her. Or call her. This... this was for the best.

Newt reached out and snatched up a pen from the Marshall's desk. She scratched down her signature, then presented the signed papers to Herc. She was going to Australia.


	4. Chapter 4

They started packing her things immediately. There wasn't much. Besides the kaiju remains and the equipment to study them, Newt only had two suitcases full of clothes and personal items. Frankly, she could lose both of them and not miss a single thing.

Mostly she was surprised by how quick things were moving. At least when the kaiju were still rampaging through many high populated cities, time was against their side and Newt was forced from port to port every single month. That urgency wasn't needed now and yet within a day, all of her equipment was ready to go.

Now it was just a matter of saying her goodbyes. Newt made her rounds in the Shatterdome, starting from the cafeteria. She said goodbye to the head chef, Goodwin, for making the best cinnamon porridge she had in years. She said goodbye to the cleaning crew because Newt's mother was a maid for twenty-five years and Newt never ignored or forgotten the ones who cleaned her toilet. Newt said goodbye to Tendo, who merely gave her a professional handshake.

Mako hugged her and blessed her in Japanese. At least, Newt thought it was a blessing. For all she knew Mako could be telling her to go fuck herself.

Raleigh shook her hand, thanking her for her service to the cause. They told her they hoped to see her again soon.

Now all that was left was Hermann. At this point, even he should have realized the Marshal had packed only Newt's stuff, not his. Soon enough, as Newt finished zipping up her panties inside of her backpack, Hermann flung opened the door to her room. "Newton!" He yelled, limping in. "What the hell is going on?"

"They're sending me to Sydney," Newt said. 'Didn't you get the memo?"

Of course there was no fucking memo. Newt just wanted to say that.

"Sydney! They can't separate us, we're Drift partners!"

"We've only Drifted once, Hermann. It doesn't exactly count."

Hermann sputtered, gaping as if Newt just slapped him. The Bond between them was shifting, churning like a dark rain cloud in the sky. Newt couldn't tell if that was her, Hermann, or something else entirely.

"Once was enough!" Hermann finally spat, angrily slamming down the heel of his cane upon the floor. "You know as well as I it doesn't matter if it was once or fifty times!  _We're partners!_  Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

What would he do if Newt told him she was pregnant? Would he go with her? Or would he want her to stay?

She nearly told him. God, she wanted to tell him. But she knew if she did, Hermann would insist on being with her, regardless of what was the smart thing to do. Hermann was needed here, by the rift, to make sure it wasn't going to open again. Newt needed to be far away, to protect herself and this little ball of cells growing inside of her.

"Our connection was nothing," Newt lied. "Stop making a mountain out of a molehill, Herms. Besides, they don't need a biologist here. I go where the work goes, and that happens to be in Sydney."

Hermann took a step back. This was a movement Newt had seen often in the past ten years, a move Hermann did when he was upset or stunned or offended. Which one was he now?

"I see," he finally said, his tone flat. "Well then... this is good-bye, Dr. Geiszler. God speed."

No handshake, no hug. Hermann twisted on his heel and limped away, his cane banging loudly on the floor. Newt watched him until he turned the corner, disappearing from view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newt pulled back from the microscope, arched her back and heard three bones popped. She groaned. Automatically her hand went on her belly, rubbing her palm over the swell. It did nothing to ease her back pain but it was a comfort nonetheless.

God, this pregnancy was hell.  _Everything_  hurt. Even the bits she thought were unable to  _feel_  pain fucking hurt. Her back, her ankles, her hands and feet. She had constant headaches, stomach cramps, diarrhea, vertigo, sensitivity to smells and light. She would take just a sip of water and less than ten minutes later, pee like she had just guzzled Niagara Falls. She had sickness every fucking morning. At least when she was awake, the baby sat contently in her stomach, giving her reprieve during the day.

However, the moment she decided to sit, rest, or sleep, the fucking little shit came alive, kicking like its passion in life was to be a soccer player. More than once Newt found herself leaning over her work desk, hand on her belly, crying silently because sometimes the pregnancy was too much.

And to think her mother went through this  _five times_. And her grandmother  _eight_. Were the women in her family fucking Amazons or something?

She was only on her fifth month. How the heck was she going to go through another three like this?

It certainly wasn't affecting her work, that was for sure. Despite the pain and constant nausea, Newt was always working. The amount of kaiju blood still circulating in the seas and drinking water was overwhelming. If she couldn't find a way to dispel the toxicity level soon, in less than five years, all of Earth's drinking water will be gone.

Newt was overreacting. She was going to crack the blood in a few weeks time. If not her, than one of the other scientists here will. She could afford to dilly-dally.

Newt pushed herself away from her work table, groaning as she got up from her seat. Her lower back was screaming at her, tell her to sit her fat ass back down. The longer she ignored it, the more intense the pain became, radiating up to her shoulder blades. Newt shuffled to the mini-fridge she had. Inside, sitting next to containers of kaiju blood, were chilled bottles of water.

'For the the love of God, Newton, place that blood somewhere else! Do you want to catch the equivalent of kaiju cholera?'

The voice of Hermann was still with her, narrating her life at random times. Sometimes they came without prompt, other times a familiar scene could start a whole narration.

As psychotic as it sounded, Newt didn't mind. She found comfort having Hermann's voice in her ear, though she was perfectly aware she should probably speak to a psychiatrist. This could be the result of their Bond, or a sign of schizophrenia. Newt really should find out the difference.

She grabbed the nearest water bottle, relishing the coolness in her palm. But when she tried to twist the top off, she found it to be too tight. After a minute of painful struggling, she suddenly remembered.

Newt had always asked  _Hermann_  to twist the caps off her difficult water bottles. She used to joke that was the only reason she kept him around.

"I  _am_  a man," he would joke back, twisting the cap off and handing the bottle back to her. "Here you go, my dear."

The pain in her back suddenly became too much, and Newt dropped the bottle, her hands throwing out to catch herself before her knees buckled. She understood pregnancy wasn't going to be easy, but god _damn_ , she didn't expect it to be crippling. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to breath evenly.

She waited out the pain until it lowered into a mute ache. She wiped her face, disgusted to realize she was crying. "I miss..."

She spoke without thinking. She stopped herself in mid-sentence, unsure what she was about to say next. Her hand went back to her belly, touching it, reminding herself why she was going through all of this.

"I want to go home."


	5. Chapter 5

The fucking math wasn't adding up.

Hermann checked and double-checked his work. Over and over the numbers rattled around in his brain, swirling in front of his vision, telling him these were the right ones, and yet the final result was... shit. Shit, shit, shit. SHIT.

He tossed down his black marker, suddenly sick of the smell. What the fuck was wrong with him? He could do these goddamn equations in his sleep. Fuck, he  _has_  done such equations in his sleep, it was one of the reasons he kept a notebook nearby. If he woke in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea, he needed to jolt it down. Newton used to  _scream_  obscenities at him when he got up three in the morning and turned on the light, jolting her out of her sleep. God, it was a miracle she didn't smother him, he did it so often.

Hermann paced the room, back and forth, back and forth, up and down the length of the white board. His head never strayed from the numbers. What was he missing? What was he not getting?

From behind, he heard the door open.

"Newton, not now!"

"Actually, it's Raleigh."

Hermann jerked, nearly snapping his neck to twist around and stare at him. Raleigh gave a little hesitate wave. "Apologies," Hermann said, settling down. "I fear you caught me in the middle of something and I was lost in the moment."

"It's fine," Raleigh said, shrugging the apology off. "The whole gang is gathering for dinner. Do you wish to join us, Dr. Gotliebb?"

If Newton was here, she would automatically scream YES like it was her life mission. She would drag Hermann along, complaining about his social skills, joking he was vampire, saying if he didn't go out more people would think he was a serial killer. "Ah... thank you, but no. I have a great deal of work to do and I would not be good company."

Raleigh nodded sympathetically. "Busy night?"

"Mmm, yes, I fear my calculations are frying my brain. I've made a mistake and I am trying desperately to figure out where."

Raleigh stared at the white board, his lips pursing as if he could actually understand the math.  _Mako_  could, probably, but not Raleigh. Even with the Drift, at the end of the day he would forever be that country boy. "I think I see your problem."

Hermann's brain nearly exploded. " _What_?" He twirled around to see. " _Where_?"

"Here," Raleigh said, pointing out a tiny cluster of numbers in the corner. "Um... instead of a number, you wrote  _Newton_  instead."

No, that was impossible. There was no fucking way, in all the hours Hermann had been doing this, would he make such an obvious mistake. Especially such a silly, out of place mistake.

Hermann moved closer, his eyes squinting at where Raleigh was pointing. Sure enough, in a cluster of numbers, Newton's name sat in bold, black print. Hermann had even tried to divide it with Pi. "Oh, for the love of pete-"

Raleigh smiled goofily. "Looks like you really miss Dr. Geiszler."

"I do not  _miss_  her," Hermann spat, grabbing an eraser and aggressively wiping down the board. He was going have to start all over. "She made it very clear we were not friends."

At the sound of his aggravation, Hermann thought Raleigh would feel uncomfortable enough to scurry back from which he came. Instead, the man leaned against a table, his mouth turned down. "But you're Drift partners. Surely you two are keeping contact through phone or email-"

"I have not heard from Newton since the day she left. Does not matter, we only Drifted once. The distance will eventually sever our connection-"

Raleigh shook his head. "No, that's not how it works. A Drift bond is never severed. You could have Drifted with her for less than a second and you would forever have her voice in your mind."

"Yes, yes, I heard it all, what's your  _point_?"

There was a twitch in Raleigh's face, a flashing moment of hot anger. Maybe it was not a good idea to tick off a six-foot man, who was two hundred pounds of pure muscle, and fought aquatic monsters for a living. Hermann bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from further spewing foolish words.

Slowly, Raleigh breathed in, breathed out, steadying himself. A Mako Mori technique. He then said carefully, "I can still feel my brother. It's as if he's in this room, right now, standing next to me. When he died, it was like I lost a limb. And every day that limb is being severed over and over again. It nearly killed me when he died, because I am right there with him. I can't even imagine how the Marshal is taking it, with his Drift partner  _and_  his son gone. When I heard Dr. Geiszler was leaving, Mako and I nearly threw a  _fit_. Separating Drift partners? Do you have any idea how that affects you? If a severed Bond is like a limb being ripped away, then a separated Bond is like  _reopening a gaping wound_. We kept it to yourselves because at the end of the day, it was your decision. I had hoped you two would at least keep contact with each other. And with the baby on the way-"

Hermann jerked. "What? What baby?"

Raleigh stopped in mid-sentence. He pulled back, wincing. "Oh..." he said uncomfortably. "You didn't know..."

"Newton is  _pregnant_?!" Hermann practically screamed. He tossed aside the eraser, all thoughts on mathematics were now out the window. "Why haven't you told me about this?!"

"Because it wasn't any of our business! Some of us thought Dr. Geiszler left because of you, so we didn't want to talk about the pregnancy around you-"

" _Some of us?!_  HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS?!"

"Oh, fuck me," Raleigh moaned, putting his face in his hands.


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay, lean back..."

Newt didn't want to lean back. When she was on her back, vertigo and nausea pounded her head like hurricane rain against a pane of glass. She shoulders ached from being slept on every single night, though it was better than having to get up every five minutes to be sick at the toilet.

Regardless, never say Newt Geiszler was a wimp (despite what Herms thought). Swallowing her anticipated sickness, Newt scooted back, and laid down. The hospital bed was elevated slightly to allow Newt to see the monitor easily.

"Shirt up," the doctor said.

Newt lifted up her shirt, watching in mild amusement as her belly button stuck out like a sore thumb. It was funny to look at. She wasn't so fond of the dark stripe that ran across her belly, reminding her of a racing line. She kept expecting it to split down the middle for the baby to tear through.

She tried not to have thoughts like that. It reminded her too much of the baby kaiju that almost ate her. (Fucking Hannibal just left her ass there. Why the fuck was she so enchanted with him?)

She startled slightly when the doctor suddenly squirted that weird, blue gel right on her tummy.

"Cold?" The doctor asked.

A heads-up would be nice. Newt shook her head.

The doctor laid the transducer on top of the gel, spreading it about mildly. She then turned her attention toward the screen, where a fuzzy, black/gray image showed up. "Alright," said the doctor, moving the transducer around. "Let's see what we can see..."

Newt scowled at the ultrasound monitor. After spending ten years working with the highest, most advanced technology in the world, having to stare face-to-face with this obsolete  _thing_  was an insult. Newt built better things in her sleep.  _Ooh, there's a foot._  Bullshit, that's a scribble.

"There's the head," the doctor said, pointing to some blob thing. "And... let me point the image down a bit and... ah... it's a girl!"

How can she tell? Newt squinted her eyes at the screen. "I see nothing."

"There," said the doctor, pointing. "You see?"

"Ah... yes... now I- nope, nothing."

The doctor dropped her hand, huffing. "Well, trust me, you're having a healthy baby girl."

"A girl," Newt repeated thoughtfully, staring down at her belly. Her hands rubbed the sides soothingly, letting the information settle in her brain. "A girl..."

After the doctor printed out a screenshot of the ultrasound, she cleaned Newt's belly of the gel, wiping it down with a warm, damp cloth. "Now, before I let you go to buy cute, pink dresses, I do have a few standard questions."

Of course. Newt pulled down her shirt, and tried to sit up. Immediately the movement caused a fresh wave of nausea to surge through her.

She grunted and nearly flopped back down. She didn't, afraid if she did, she would faint.

"That's exactly what I am talking about," the doctor huffed again, pointing to Newt's discomfort. "I have never seen a woman carry a pregnancy so badly before.  _Especially_  not one without a physical defect."

"Lucky me," Newt muttered, forcing herself to sit up, slowly this time.

"I mean it, Miss Geiszler. Is there something you're not telling me? Something that was not specified on your charts? If there is, you have to tell me, otherwise I cannot give you the help you need."

Newt didn't need help. She did the extensive studies on pregnant women who've experienced Drift. Though these women experienced horrible symptoms of sickness and pains, the separation never affected the baby. All Newt needed to do was endure another three months of this. She could do it. And then... she'll decide what to do afterwards.

"I'm fine," Newt said. "Nothing to report."

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer. Amy. Lisa. Christine. Anna. Alice. Leia. Leilani. Lucy. Abigail. Molly. Marlene. Lori. Laura. Erin. Erika. Melissa. Missy. Maybelle. Maytag. Belle. Bella. Mandy. Carolyn. Sarah. Susie. Suzie. Rachel. Ellen. Alecia. Tina. Jade. Samantha. Janet. Kathleen. Gabriel. Nina.

Jesus, fuck, was Newt really going have to buy a baby name book? She didn't think she would end up being one of those parents, but fucking hell.

As much as Newt liked her own name, it took years to grow into it. Years of teasing, mocking, and she had gotten into a few fights over it. She didn't want that for her kid. Yeah, it would be easy to name her  _Ripley_ , but Newt would rather not have her daughter come home from school with a black eye because of it.

This... this felt real.

Newt wasn't disillusioning herself, but the end was so near. How quickly her life changed within a matter of months. Last year she was sucking down vodka through a straw. Today she was leaving her doctor's office with news that the baby growing inside of her was a girl.

She felt happy.

The realization surprised her. After all the drama, the aches and pains, the self-doubt and fear, Newt was shocked to feel actually content with all of it. She was going to be a  _mommy_.

It was going to be so worth it.

With a grin, Newt opened the door to her room, thinking about calling her mother with the news. Maybe they'll spend a few hours debating what to name the baby.

"Newton."

Newt froze in mid-step. An unknown emotion bubbled low in her belly, spreading it throughout her entire body. She hadn't heard her name spoken like that in  _months_. She didn't expect to hear it today, to hear it now.

Slowly, she turned around.

Hermann pointed a finger at her belly. "Who did that to you?"


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing to come out of Newt's mouth was not a gasp. Not a whimper. Not a squeak of surprise. Instead, the corner of her mouth twitched, and she started laughing.

"Oh no," she giggled. She shook a finger at Hermann who seemed startled by her response. "Oh, _fuck no_. You do not get to come here and accuse me of shit!"

She didn't bother to wait for Hermann's response. She shoved her door opened with her shoulder, and when she tried to close it behind her, Hermann wedged his cane in. "We are not done talking!"

"Well I'm done listening!" Newt moved away, not bothering to give a fight. The baby was kicking again. Hard. She wondered if she looked down, would she see its little hand sticking out?

Hermann followed her, his cane clacking loudly against the floor as he moved. "Why?" He demanded. "Why wouldn't you tell me about this?"

"Because it's none of your damn business!"

"Not my business? We worked together for ten years and you think I wouldn't want to know about this?"

"What part of, _none of your business_ , didn't you understand?"

"WHY-" Hermann suddenly paused, a stark mask of horror overtook his face. "Was..." he breathed uneasily. "Were you forced?"

Newt gaped at him. "NO!" She screamed. "Why would you even- NO!"

Hermann was a little taken back by her response, but he appeared relieved. "We're Partners," he said. Newt rolled her eyes as his old fallback response. "I have a right to know."

"A right? Here's your right!" She gave him the finger.

"How dare you! I've been worried sick about you!"

"So you feel you're obligated to what's me and mine? Fuck you!"

"Why are you trying to make it sound like I am some sort of _brute_? There's a reason why you told Miss Mori about the pregnancy and not me! You told Raleigh, you even told Tendo! What did I _do_ , Newton, to earn your distrust?"

Shit. She'd forgotten she had told the others. "Look, just go back to China, Herms. I don't want you here and I don't need you here."

Now that hurt. Newt could see it in his face. Herms always had the ability to make himself look like a ten year old boy, a boy who's just been told his parents were killed by the Joker, his dog was ran over, his house burnt down, and someone ate all his Halloween candy.

"I get nightmares."

Newt went still.

"Every night," Herms continued. "You would think by this point I would be used to them. Kaiju, killing, stomping, destroying everything in sight. I've dreamt of my parents' death so often, I can practically draw the scenes out, one by one, like a film strip for a projector."

Herms had only shared the story of his parents' death once. It was when they were in Tokyo, and they had just lost one of the greatest Jaeger pilots Hermann and Newt ever had the pleasure of knowing. Newt spent the night fucking anything that was willing, and Herms spent it drinking until he was physically unable to pick himself up.

When Newt finally came back to their rooms, she found Herms covered in his own filth and crying his eyes out. Though Newt was aching all over, she had picked Herms off the floor, took him to the bathroom and helped him bathe. As she gently washed his hair, he told her what happened to his parents.

When the kaiju first attacked London, Hermann, and so many other families, tried to escape. There were panic in the streets, people climbing over people, scrabbling to get out of the way of falling debris. At some point Hermann was separated from his parents, forced to the other side of the street.

It wasn't the kaiju or the debris that killed his parents, it was the panic. He watched as the crowd ran them over in their haste, stepping on them like they were carpet. He watched several times as his dad tried to get up, but feet kept smashing his head back down to the cement. No matter how many times Hermann tried to go back, to help, he was always pushed back by a wave of bodies.

After that, Hermann never confronted Newt about it and Newt never brought it up. They had work to do, and they didn't have time to mourn old lives.

"But after you left, do you know what I dream about?" Herms asked. "I dream about _you_. I dream about that time you slipped on kaiju blood and twisted your knee. I dream about the time you had a _literal orgasm_ when they first brought you a kaiju brain. I also dream about the time when you drew a fake mustache on yourself when you were drunk, then blamed it on _me_ afterwards! Raleigh was right, this bond between us can't be broken."

"Stop it," Newt said. "You're not going to guilt me into this."

"And you're not going to turn me away without an explanation," Herms insisted, stepping forward more determinedly. "Ten years we've been together, Newton. The things we've seen, the events we experienced, don't you dare throw all of that away for... for what? Did you honestly think I would reject you because you got pregnant? Do you believe me to be _petty_?"

Newt had to sit down. The baby girl was kicking up a storm, adding onto all of this madness. It was too much to handle. "No," she said. "I pushed you away because I knew you would fight for me."

"...what?"

Newt might as well just come out with it. "Hannibal Chau is the father."

Hermann dropped his cane. Newt watched as he tried to speak, his throat refusing to cooperate. "I thought... I thought you said it wasn't forced-"

"It wasn't!" Newt moaned loudly. "I fucked him! I enjoyed it! And... and... this happened!" She pointed furiously to her belly. "But now... if Hannibal finds out I'm pregnant with his kid, he could use as leverage against me. So... I left! I left to go somewhere where he couldn't find me! And I didn't tell you because I knew you would follow! But you're needed back at China, Herms. You and your maths. You can't save the world if you're too busy following my fat-ass."

So that was it, it was all out there now. Now what?

Herms didn't bother to retrieve his cane. He limped forward, every step more exaggerated, more painful than the last. Newt was shocked to see him kneel down in front of her, ignoring what must be agony for him. He reached out, took her hands in his.

At the touch, Newt moaned. The bond expanded between them, desperate to connect for the first time in months. All the sickness, all the little aches and pains Newt had been experiencing since day one melted away. She reveled in the feeling, and she moved closer to Hermann, pressing her forehead against his.

"You're right," Herms said. "I would fight for you. So give me a chance to prove it. I may be a cripple, my dear Newton, but you can lean on me, just like I've always leaned on you."

" _God_ ," Newt hissed. "That was the corniest fucking thing I ever heard."

She was smiling though. Herms smiled back. He brought up her hands and gently kissed her knuckle, sending the tiniest tendrils of pleasure through her.


	8. Chapter 8

"You have to go back to China."

"You're insane if you think I'm leaving you behind."

"You need to stay near the Rift. You're the only one who can understand it."

"It's called 'email', my dear. I suggest you read up on it."

"Herms."

"Newton."

"Stop being stubborn."

" _I'm_ being stubborn?" Herms burst out. "You're the the one who wants to suffer through the last months of your pregnancy alone!"

"That's because Hannibal Chau is still in China, if you haven't forgotten that little fact, Mr. Know-it-all! I'm safer here!"

"Then I'm staying!"

"No, you're not!"

So much for that shared intimate moment a few minutes ago. Newt supposed this was how their relationship was going to be, how it'll always be. It was both endearing and pathetic in her eyes.

"I'm staying, and that's settled!" Herms cried out, slamming his cane down dramatically.

Newt kicked his cane, making him jerk off center. "You're going, and that's final!"

They stared each other down, demanding submission, breathing so hard their noses flared. Herms was taller than Newt by a good five inches, but Newt had at least fifty pounds on him, not counting the baby and pregnancy weight. Herms really was too skinny for his own good.

Then, in a low tone, Herms said slowly, "You can't make me leave. You can't force me to. I go where you go and that's final."

Shit. _Shit_ , he was right. It was not as if Newt could shove him on the first plane back to China. She could see it in his eyes. Even if she drugged him, even if she bribed someone to kidnap him, even if she chased him out with a baseball bat, he was going to drop everything and come back.

Newt groaned. She leaned forward, smashing her face against Herm's chest. "Fine then," she muttered, muffled by Herm's ugly sweater vest. "I'm going back to China."

Herms stiffened. "Newton, no, I-"

"You go where I go, remember?" Newt said, turning her head up to look at him. "You're too important to be here, even for me. Let's go back to China."

"I... but... what about Chau?"

Hannibal Chau didn't know about the pregnancy. At least, that was what Newt has told. Who knew what information and progress has happened in the past few months. Maybe he did know and didn't care. Maybe he knew and was biding his time. Maybe he fell into a sewer hole and drowned. All Newt had to do was wait out the last months of her pregnancy on the Shatterdome. If she didn't leave it, Hannibal Chau can't get to her.

Easy, right?

"We'll deal with it as it comes," Newt said, grabbing Hermann's hands and pressing them against her belly. "Let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I know. But the next chapter has a lot of stuff and I don't want you guys think I've abandoned this. I'm just super slow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short, but necessary chapter.

Newt was never particuarly close to Mako Mori. They had pleasant conversations, but they weren't the type of friends who braided each other's hair or had girl's day out or... anything, really. They were co-workers and it barely went beyond that.

So it really surprised the _shit_ out of Newt to see Mako Mori first in line to welcome her back. "Welcome back, my friend," Mako said to her, giving her a respectful bow. Newt tried to bow back, halting when she realized her belly was too big to bend over. Herms- the fucking asshole- chuckled at her stiffness. Mako merely looked on wistfully. "You've grown so much," she said, sighing. "Do you know what it is?"

"A girl," Newt said. "I haven't decided on a name."

"We should go shopping," Mako continued. "Buy clothes for the baby. I know a lot of stores we could go to."

And that's where things got awkward. Herms said nobody but him and the Marshal knew the truth of Newt's departure. Not even Raleigh or Mako knew. It really wasn't their business but not telling the truth was going to be hard.

"Um... sure, yeah, that sounds like fun."

Herms had thrown her a panicked look which Newt ignored.

Coming up from behind Mako was the Marshal. He waited patiently, with his hands in the pockets of his coat as Mako cooed over the coming baby a minute longer. She noticed him finally, and she dropped her carefree expression. She stepped back, giving him the respect he deserved. "Sir," she said.

Ever since becoming the Marshal, all the natural, easy familiarity between Mako and Herc dropped. Either it was respect or maybe something deeper, Newt didn't know. "Miss Mori," Marshal said politely. "I need to talk to Miss Geiszler and Mr. Gotliebb alone for a minute. Do you mind giving us some privacy?"

"Hai," Mako said, giving a curt bow of her head. She gave a brief smile to Newt, then trotted off down the hall.

The Marshal stared at Newt's belly. He exhaled slowly out through his nose, shaking his head morsefully. "You should've stayed in Australia."

"So much for a welcome back greeting," Herms bit out at him. "How dare you try to separate Drift Partners-"

"You only went to Australia when you found out about the baby. So don't act as if your motivation to see Miss Geiszler was because of your so-called connection."

Low blow. Herms sputtered, his face going bright scarlet at the accusation. The Marshal wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either. Right now, Newt didn't care. She was back now and these two can fight after she recovered from jet lag. "Can we do the guilty, dick-measuring bit later? I really want to take a nap."

"I'll be brief. My sources say Hannibal knows you're back in town. Thankfully though, he dosn't know of the pregnancy."

"Okay, good. So I won't be expecting a visit from his lawyer about visiting rights?"

"Not unless the lawyer wants to be shot. But if you take a step outside of the dome, Miss Geizsler, I cannot protect you. Are you sure you want to spend the last months of your pregnancy under house arrest?"

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't be here if I hadn't planned on doing so." Newt was squeezing by, going towards her room. "Warning though: Lots of complaining from me. Lots of it."

 

 

 

 

 

Newt felt like a useless piece of shit. Everybody who lived on the Dome had a job to do. And they did it with such proficiency, hardly anyone took vacation or sick leave, not when there was stuff to do.

Being so far along in her pregnancy, the smell of the chemicals Newt used in her experiments made her sick, even through a gas mask. She couldn't work on her dissection because the mere _sight_ of guts and blood sent her world spinning. She was so over this sensitivity crap.

She couldn't bug Herms as much, he was busy with his own work. He did his best, however, to meet her for lunch everyday, tried to meet her for dinner. Lunch was almost always a given, but dinner only happened once a week. Most of the time Newt found herself eating alone, reading Star Trek novels and debating them online.

Now she was really regretting her decision coming back. Without something to generate her mind, she was bored beyond belief. Not even Mako, who started this strange female friendship with Newt, could only spare enough time to be with her. Mako was busy with her own projects.

As the days went on, more and more Newt was tempted to leave the Dome.

Every time she got that feeling, she could touch her round belly, reminding herself why she shouldn't set foot outside.

"Right now, I'm not a big fan of you."

The little girl inside of her didn't stir. Newt had yet to decide on a name for her.

"Really, though," Newt continued. "Who likes babies? Really? They fart all the time, poo and pee. I've trained dogs that took less time. Sorry, that's a lie, I never had a dog. I'll get you a dog. But anyways, back on track, you're annoying."

There was a small shift inside of her.

"I never had a model body, but I wasn't _fat_. A few stretch marks, some cellulite on my thighs, big whoop. Now my ass and my boobs are way too big to be comfortable. Also, thanks to you, I can't eat like, nothing. No processed cheese, no deli meats, no coffee, no soda- everything I love I had to give up because of you.

And now my relationship with Herms has changed. The Marshal was right: if it wasn't for you, I'm sure he would've let me go. He _did_ let me go. I mean, I wanted him to, but... if you weren't here, what would we be? Hell, I barely know what we are now. Friends, certainly. We've barely hugged. It's not like he's planning to make an 'honest woman' out of me. He's not going anywhere now, so what's the point of asking?

But the biggest issue here is what I am going have to explain to you down the road. Am I going have to tell you the truth of who your father is? I didn't know my biological father, but my step-dad was an amazing man. Family is what you make of it, I know, but it's a question that has bothered me for years. Who was he? Why didn't he want me? I can't tell you how often I wanted to track him down.

And... well, shit. What if you need a kidney? A blood transfusion? I guess I shouldn't have to worry that much, Herms' family is fucking loaded. I'm sure if something happens he'll be able to provide what you need. But do I have the right to lie to your face? Doesn't Hannibal have the right to know you exist?"

The little girl kicked twice. Newt groaned.

"Well, fuck. I think he does."


	10. Chapter 10

"Mako, can I talk to you?"

Newt had played around with the idea of lying to Mako. Maybe trick her into doing Newt's bidding. Then Newt asked herself a very good question: did she really want _Mako Mori_ as her enemy? No fucking way.

"What's wrong?" Mako asked. She quickly glanced down at Newt's belly. "Did something happen to the baby?"

"No, nothing's wrong. With the baby, that is. Um..." Newt looked around, made sure they were alone. They were, but just in case, Newt whispered. "Do you remember when I told you that Herms wasn't the father?"

"Yes. Hannibal Chau is."

Newt's mouth dropped open. "Wha... how? HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

Mako blinked at her as if it wasn't obvious. "My guardian was Pentecost. I have access to every file in this place. Of course I know."

She didn't tack on a _duh_ at the end of that sentence, but it sounded like she wanted to. Newt certainly would've done it. "I... how long have you known?"

""The day after you left."

"Oh geeze. You know what? I don't care. It'll just make this easier. Then you know why I left, right?"

"Yes, I do," Mako said. "Why? Did Chau threaten you somehow? Do you need me to do something about it?"

Her voice went low and deadly. Her right hand moved to her hip, where Newt knew a small dagger sat hidden.

"Holy Jesus Christ! No! Um... no, Mako. It's not like that. I... I came to a decision. I believe Hannibal has a right to know he has a daughter."

Mako didn't move her hand. "Is somebody pressuring you to do this?"

"No! Look, Mako, could stand up straight? Yes, thank you... No. I just have been feeling really, really guilty for the past few months. What am I suppose to tell my kid about her father? What am I suppose to do if she needs a kidney transplant or a blood transfusion or something? What if she wants to meet her father? I don't know, _not_ telling Hannibal about her doesn't feel right. I think he has a right to know. I want to tell him. Face to face."

Now it was Mako's turn to be surprised. "The Marshal is not going to let you off the Shatterdome to see Hannibal! He will see it as too much as a risk!"

"I know," Newt said. "That's why I'm asking you to help me sneak away."

"Sneak away...?" Mako repeated. "You want me to risk my life, my career, and the trust I've built for the past twenty years to help you see a man who might use you for his own nefarious deeds?"

Newt winced. "...Yes?"

There was a pause.

Mako huffed a breath through her teeth, blowing a strand of blue hair out of her face. She shook her head. "Tonight, after seven. Meet me outside of the cafeteria hall. Wear something to cover your belly."

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't so late in the year to be wearing such a large coat, though comfortably warm it was. When fully buttoned, it hid Newt's belly, and made her look thinner than she actually was.

Mako was not dressed in her usual attire of either formal suits or those big, fluffy sweaters she seemed to enjoy. Her clothing was black, nearly skin tight. Goodness, she was smaller than Newt realized. Mako also wore thick, black boots, and a black hoody jacket. "I can sneak you out, no problem," Mako said. "Sneaking back in however..."

"It's fine," said Newt. "I just need to tell Hannibal, then we can go."

Mako made an unhappy face. "I don't like this. I am not entirely sure I can protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me."

"You are eight months pregnant and we're walking into a den of vipers!"

"Well, when you put it like that..."

It was not funny. Newt knew this situation was nowhere near being funny but she couldn't help but makes jokes. She _needed_ to do this. She felt it in her guts, that if she didn't follow through, it would be a decision that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

But before Newt could open her mouth and say that, Mako interjected with, " _But_ I do understand why you're doing this. I don't like it... but I know there's nothing I am going to say or do to stop you, am I?"

Newt nodded. Oh boy, she was so glad not to have this conversation.

"Alright," Mako said, pulling up her hoody. "Let's go."

 

 

 

 

 

It was almost insulting how deliciously easy it was to sneak out of the Shatterdome. Newt half-expected it to be like something out of a Mission Impossible episode. There was no ducking behind doors, no grabbing guards and strangling them to unconsciousness. All Mako said was for Newt to pull her her hoodie, keep her head down, and both of them strolled out of the dome with nobody standing in their way.

Newt hummed the theme song anyways.

Newt didn't have to tell Mako where to go. As the adopted child of Pentecost, she must knew all of Hannibal's haunts. Only once they were stopped on the streets when some drunk fool tried to touch Mako's ass. She twirled him around and slammed him so hard against the wall, he bounced off like he was a cartoon character and landed flat on his back, stunned.

"There," Mako pointed to a restaurant. "He'll be there."

Unlike Hannibal's last place which was surrounded by street vendors and the general public, this restaurant looked super swanky. It was one of those places that had a dress code. Newt looked down at herself, forwning suddenly at her ugly shoes and clothes. They were so going to be turned away at the front.

"Are you ready for this?"

Newt heard the unsaid pleading in Mako's voice. _Don't do this. You don't have to do this. Let's just turn around, go back home, and eat ice cream and donuts and make fun of Herm's hair._

"Yes," said Newt. She touched her belly for the hundredth time today. "Let's go meet _daddy_."

Mako squirmed at that.


	11. Chapter 11

Hannibal was a simple man of simple tastes. If he said that out loud, he knew people around him would scoff and stare pointedly at his choice of clothing and shoes. It was the truth though. What really came down to it, he just didn't have time for _bullshit_.

He didn't care for small talk. He didn't want to listen to your explanations why you didn't pay back the money. He didn't want to know what the fucking specials of the day were, just bring him his damn noodles.

That included women. He was not looking for a wife or a girlfriend. If you were right and willing, that was fine by him.

That being said, there was something about that Newt Geiszler he just... _liked_.

Usually he didn't go for women like her. His type were petite, Asian gals with perky breasts. Newt was short, plump, (pudgy was a better word). She bit her nails, her short hair made her look boy-ish, and those stupid glasses were stupid.

Dear god though, she was fun.

The very first time she came into the back room of the shop, Hannibal watched in amusement as she squealed at all the kaiju organs like she was a kid in a candy shop. Hannibal didn't have to dumb down his words for her, she knew exactly what he was talking about when it came to the dissection process.

She was so fucking cheeky, he spent most of the time torn between wanting to laugh at her, and feeling bewildered beyond belief. Hours later, looking back, he came to realize how much he enjoyed the time with her.

When he met her later on after the world had been declared safe from kaiju, he had full intentions on sleeping with her. He expected her to be a quick fuck, something to get him off and satisfy his curiosity. Sort of like having a piece of chocolate to hold you over till dinnertime.

He should have known better. Geiszler was just as enthusiastic about sex as she was about kaiju guts. She had no problem directing his hand to where she wanted it the most, telling him what she wanted, and when he was inside her, she would purposely squeeze down on him at random times, making him gasp and shudder. She would giggle every time she did it.

Hannibal has slept with other women since then, women with years of experience who made him feel like his spine was melting, but their faces and bodies blurred in his memory. Newt Geiszler made him giggle during sex.

No other woman has done that before.

There was a knock at his door. "Sir," said a voice from the other side. "Newton Geiszler is here with Mako Mori."

Hannibal stood up from his desk. He took a moment to adjust his suit. "Speak of the devil..."


	12. Chapter 12

Newt was here to tell the father of her child he was the father of her child. She was on a mission, and no, she was not going to inch more closely to that corner over there to look at a bottle full of kaiju shedded skin. There was a familiar smell in the air and she knew it was urine, specifcially from a pre-pubescent kaiju, and no, she was not interested in that. Nope, nope, nope, nope-

"Are you alright?" Mako asked. "You're shaking."

It felt like Newt was a starving kid in a candy store and she was just told to keep her hands to herself. She was a woman on a mission, and by God, she was going to see it through. Still, she thought as she lovingly stared across the room at a container with a pickled ear drum, it was nice to want.

A tall, thin woman came out to greet them. She was bald, her head shaved clean, and though she wore a long elegant dress and five inch high heels, Newt was sure Baldy could kick everyone's ass here. Newt suddenly felt the urge to start a fight between this woman and Mako, just to see them go at it. Not in a foxy-boxing sort of way. She just wanted to see 5'4 Mako take down this 6'1 woman. It would be epic.

"Mr. Chau will see you now," Baldy said, waving her arm towards the back area.

"I need to tell him alone," Newt said to Mako. "I'll scream if there's trouble."

Mako pouted. She crossed her arms and glared angrily at everyone in the room, daring them to try something. Maybe once this was all done, Newt should take her to underground fighting ring and let her loose. Now that Mako wasn't fighting kaiju anymore, she probably had some pent up aggression.

Newt followed the strange bald woman down the hall towards the back rooms. She didn't bring Newt to an office or a labratory. She had brought Newt to a bedroom.

It was immensely spacious, with a high ceiling and everything painted in red and gold. The bed itself drew the focus of the eye with its bright crimson sheets and dragons craved into the wood. Off to the side was an open air bath that could've double as an olympic pool. How could Chau get so much water to supply that thing? There was so much unnecessary luxury here. (Though Newt couldn't deny she wanted to swim in that. Good lord, that would be so fucking cool.)

Chau was dramatically standing by the open window, staring out at the city and didn't turn around until Miss Chromedome closed the doors behind Newt with an audible click.

He looked her over. Newt was glad she decided to wear her giant coat to hide her belly. "You've gotten fat."

"You've lost hair," Newt snapped back. It wasn't true, it was just the first thing to pop out.

Chau didn't take offense. He grinned and walked towards her. "I'm glad you're here," he said, reaching into his coat.

"Yeah, well, I have to tell you something."

"I got you something." He pulled out a baggy and handed it over. Inside was small strip of grey flesh.

"What's this?"

"It's the skin from the first kaiju to ever come on earth."

Newt's eyes bugged out of her skull. There was no way Chau got his hands on the skin. Skin was one of the first things to decompose on a kaiju and it was nearly impossible to hold on to it without chemically preserving it. No way scientists could've known how to preserve the skin back then. Chau basically handed Newt the kaiju equivelant of Superman number one in mint condition. She squealed. "Oh my god! Are you serious? Are you serious? Can I open it? I'm going to open it. Oh god, it smells amazing. I mean, it smells like an unwashed anus, but _what_ an anus!"

She stopped. This wasn't what she came here to do. Good lord, she couldn't believe how fucking easy it was to be distracted. No fucking wonder she got pregnant. "Um..." Newt pinched the ziplock bag closed and looked up at Chau. "Thank you."

Chau grinned. "No problem."

He suddenly leaned down to kiss her.

Newt almost let him. Though Herms proclaimed he would protect her and care for the baby, they were not lovers. They had not even kissed, and Newt harbored the idea Herms was actually asexual. Newt had not kissed anyone since the baby's conception and she missed having physical intimacy. She stepped away. "No... ah... I have something to tell you."

Chau frowned, disappointed from being out-put. "What?"

There was no better way of saying it, so Newt simply opened the front of her coat. She waited.

She wasn't sure how Chau would react to this. Maybe he'll be confused, unsure what she was showing him. In her fantasy she imagined him to be estatic, happy to know he was going to be a father and nothing bad was going to happen, ever. The most likely reaction, she knew, might be anger. She readied herself to scream for Mako if Chau made any aggresive move towards her.

But Chau did none of those things. He stared at Newt's large belly, then looked up at her in the face. "What do you want me to do about it?"

He said it in a _bored_ tone. What an asshole. "Excuse me!" Newt said, offended. She closed her coat and started buttoning up. "I just thought-"

"You thought what? That you're the first woman I got pregant in this world? Please. I got bastards all over this country."

Of course he did. Why would Newt think any differently, believe he would care for something he created? "Fine, then. You know what? Fuck you and... fuck your kaiju skin!"

"You just tucked the bag away in your pocket."

"It was a GIFT!"

God, she was an idiot. A complete moron. Exactly what was she expecting? She had just risked everything for nothing. Fuck, she could see her father even now, looking at her in grand disappointment, shaking his head at her. Tears sprung in her eyes. No, she was not going to cry here, not in front of Chau. She was going to leave with Mako and never come back. She turned and swiftly walked to the door, hiding her face. She grabbed the handle and rattled it. It was locked.

"Goddamn it!" She hissed as she continued to rattle it. Humiliated tears were now streaming freely down her cheeks. She hunched down, wishing for a hole to open beneath her feet and swallow her whole. "Open, goddamn it..."

Chau placed a hand on the door above her head, his shadow looming over Newt like a vampire. "Seriously," he said. "What do you want me to do about it?"

Newt didn't dare turn around. She didn't know what he was asking.

"Do you want to get rid of it? It's a little late in the process, but I know a few people who could do a procedure."

Fuck. Fuuuck. Newt shook her head. She trembled and wiped at her face.

"Are you planning to give it up for adoption?"

"No," she said, her voice hoarse.

"I can't imagine you need money. You big scientists up there in your ivory tower."

"No, I don't."

"Then what do you need? What can I give you?"

Finally, Newt turned to face him. It was an awkward turn; she smacked her arm against the door as she did so. She stared up at Hannibal Chau, into his tired, blue eyes and said, "Don't use me or the baby as a bargaining tool."

"What? I-"

"That's what I want. Give it to me."

"I..." Chau pulled back, giving her space finally. His eyes narrowed at her, suspicious at this one simple request. Had the idea of using her for her technology ever crossed his thoughts? Perhaps that's what he was thinking right now, not wishing to lose his number one chance of becoming a very rich man-

"Tch," he sneered. "Fine then. You and the kid are off limits."

Newt smiled at him. "Thank you for the kaiju skin."

"I only did it cause I thought I was going to get _laid_ tonight. Don't start thinking of I'm noble or some shit."


	13. Chapter 13

"I only did it because I thought I was going to get laid tonight. Don't think of me as noble or some shit."

Newt held her hands against her belly, pressing in lightly. Inside, she felt her little girl stir, shifting against her palms.

Chau lifted his own hand, hovering it over her belly. "Can I-"

" _IF YOU DON'T BACK OFF NOW, I WILL WHACK YOUR SHINS WITH MY CANE!"_

"Herms?" Newt muttered, turning around. His muffled British voice was coming through the door. The sound of breaking glass was followed, then a round of obscenities, followed by more glass breaking, and pain-filled screaming.

_"I WILL BEAT YOUR UGLY MUG IN AND SEND PICTURES TO YOUR NANNY!"_

"Oh, what the hell is this?" Chau said, moving Newt aside to unlock the door. He walked out, Newt following close behind.

They got back to the main room, and Newt noticed Mako standing off by herself on the side, leaning against a pillar, doing nothing. "Mako," Newt came up to her. "What the hell is going on?"

Mako smirked. "Entertainment."

Standing in the middle of the room was Hermann. He was wielding his cane like a baseball bat, swinging it violently around him whenever somebody got near him. There were a few of Chau's men hanging off to the side, holding their shins in pain while others were already sporting bruising on their faces. One man was slowly coming up behind Herms as if ready to tackle him.

"UP YOURS, DICKWEED!" Hermann yelled, swinging, forcing him to move back. "AND YOUR MOTHER, TOO!"

Mako laughed and clapped her hands. "Ah, this is great."

"Dickweed?" Newt said outloud. "That's the best insult you can come up with?"

Hermann twisted around. He gasped and dropped his cane. "Newton? Oh, thank Christ! I thought you were hurt!"

He rushed forward, pulling her into a hug. It was an awkward hug with the large belly between them. He pulled back only a second later, running a worried hand over her stomach. "Are you two okay? Are you-"

His eyes moved over her shoulder, landing on Chau. "YOU." He said darkly. He gently moved Newt aside, and puffed himself up like an angry bird.

Chau simply looked amused. "Oh, what's this then?"

"Your casual treatment of women makes me sick! Put up your dukes, you wanker, I'm kicking your arse!"

He lifted up his fists.

Newt grabbed him by the arm. "My god, can you be more British? Herms, what are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"Are you kidding me?" Hermann gaped at her. "We're _Drift partners!_ I _sensed_ where you were going, what you were trying to do!"

Newt looked to Mako. "Did you know this would happen?"

"I had an inkling," Mako said, shrugging.

"I..." She turned back to Hermann. "I'm fine. Everything is okay. Calm down before you bust a blood vessel. I'm fine, everything is fine."

"It's not fine! Why didn't you tell me where you were going? If I'm going to be a father to this child, you have to begin trusting me!"

Everyone in the room was watching them. Newt didn't want to look, but out of the corner of her eye, she swore somebody brought out popcorn. Good lord, her life was cheap tv drama.

Chau gave out an obnoxious laugh. "You're going to be the father? YOU?"

Hermann rounded on him. "Yes, me! Why, do you have problem with that, buddy?"

"I'm just imagining you trying to carry a baby in one arm while leaning heavily on your cane."

He mimcked the motion of dropping something on the ground.

Pink stained Hermann's cheeks. He sneered. "Make fun of my limp all you want, degenerate. Remember, Newton chose me, not you."

Chau gave an ugly grin. He suddenly stepped forward.

"Are you mad?" Newt yelled out, getting in between them. "Nobody is fighting while a pregnant woman is in the room! Both of you, stop measuring your dicks and back off! I do not have the energy for this!"

Surprisingly, both men backed off. They gave each other a look over, Chau's lip curling in distaste while Hermann stuck his nose up.

Newt hooked her arm around Hermann, motioned for Mako to follow, and she turned towards the front doors.

"Wait-" Chau suddenly said.

They were still in a roomful of people, watching their every move. And yes, someone had popcorn.

Newt paused and looked back. She wasn't sure what Chau wanted now. For the first time since she's known him, he looked uncomfortable. He suddenly reached up and took off those stupid, obnoxious sunglasses of his.

He had such pretty blue eyes.

"My mother's name was Gwendolyn." Chau said softly.

He shoved his glasses back on quickly.

At first Newt didn't understand. She nearly took a step back towards him when it clicked.

"Gwendolyn," Newt repeated. It had a good feel to it. She nodded. "I like it."


End file.
